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I love going to the movies. I love watching movies at home ~ some of my favourites, I’ve watched so many times that I can recite each and every line (a major annoyance for anyone enjoying the movie alongside of me) and I love it when a good movie makes me stop and think. Last night I enjoyed one of those “stop and think” movies. I had the pleasure of seeing “The Post” which stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, the Washington Post newspaper heiress (reluctantly as the helm of the paper following the death of her husband) and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the paper’s editor-in-chief.

As the movie opens, Streep is almost unrecognizable as the unsure of herself, unorganized and unprepared to be in her current position of authority Graham. Her character stumbles to present her case and defers decisions and actions to the male members of the board. For those of us who have loved Meryl in so many “strong” roles it was indeed painful to watch.

But then at the pivotal moment when the decision to either go to press or bury the story occurs, her character’s strength shines through, ever so quietly, but ever so powerfully. It was at that moment that I wanted to stand up and cheer, “Finally”. As the story line draws to a conclusion there is a visible change in how Graham holds her head, stops fidgeting with her glasses and evolves into a less timid, less compliant woman.

And although it is Graham’s transformation during a time in our history when women weren’t invited to the “Big table” in business ~ every so beautifully portrayed in one scene following a dinner party, when the woman automatically retire to the drawing room to discuss decorating while the men (most of whom answer to Graham) engage in business dialogue ~ that was the central theme, it was the portrayal of Ben Bradlee’s 10 year old daughter that gave me cause to stop and think.

As with most historical fiction movies, one is never sure if the supporting cast members are portrayed as true to life or included for creative flair and effect. So the part of Ben’s daughter may have been an actual depiction or added for flair. As the news crew transitions from the Washington Post head office to Ben’s home to work through the story, they are greeted by Ben’s daughter (Marina) who is selling lemonade (a well know past time for those of us who grew up in the ‘70s). The audience giggles as there is a reference to adding something a stronger to the lemonade. A few scenes later as the mood intensifies and the living room is strewn with piles and piles of notes, Marina flows in with a plastic jug of lemonade and starts to refresh glasses. I’ll admit that my prediction skills kicked in and I anticipated spillage of lemonade and a room full of anxious newsman rushing for paper towels. You’ll have to watch to movie to see what happens.

As the storyline nears the end, there is a shot of a stack of dollar bills ~ Marina’s earnings for the day. Laughter from the audience followed, as Ben Bradlee’s wife places the money in a wooden box. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and was thrilled that Streep’s character came into her own by the final few scenes, it was the image of Marina’s earnings that stuck with me on the way home. It was almost as if director Spielberg was giving us hope in the next generation. A generation where women could be entrepreneurial, ingenious and inventive. A generation where women like Graham didn’t need the approval of the male dominated board of directors to make a decision. A generation where women no longer retired to the dining room while the men talk about business ~ they were there, in the thick of it ~ giving birth to their own business.

As the final days of December descend upon us, I am once again reminded of the annual Twitter phenomenon of selecting #oneword which will become one’s mantra for the coming year. In 2016, I selected “Unwritten” following a moving rendition of Natasha Bedingfield’s song of the same title, sung by a member of the worship team at church. I challenged myself to be anything but unwritten. As I continue to remind myself, writing is a muscle that needs to be flexed on a regular basis if one is ever expected to get better at it. A great reminder for me, as that muscle has been less than flexed during the past four months. I will do better this coming year.

In 2017, my #oneword was “Imagine”. With my impending transition from a system role to leading a staff with the opening of a brand new school, I wanted 2017 to be filled with all of the possibilities of what such a gift could entail. As I reread that post, I am proud that the staff that was selected for our new school have already started to embrace many of those imaginings. A year ago, I did not know 80% of these educators and in 4 short months they have taught me so much about effective pedagogy, creating a community of learners and they have embraced the ever-changing, ever-evolving world of SAC. I could never have imagined being surrounded by such incredible, caring and dedicated educators and loving coming to work as much as I do now!

As I look forward to 2018, the word that I’m going to select is one that was planted in my spirit by my incoming Vice Principal, Matt Lynds. As we went through the process of selecting a mascot for our new school, he came up with the word, Courage ~ and although the school community eventually selected the SAC Coyotes, along with a design, beautifully crafted by one of our students, I haven’t been able to shake the power of that word.

Now that our world at SAC is starting to resemble a fully functional school, rather than a construction zone, we can begin to focus on those decisions which are a combination of exciting and challenging at the same time.

It will take Courage to challenge the status quo when it comes to recognizing students at assemblies and graduations.

It will take Courage to continue to support both educators and parents to embrace the power of digital portfolios.

It will take Courage to refuse to condone practices which do not challenge our students to reach their potential. There is a reason why we call them “Courageous Conversations”.

It will take Courage to constantly ensure that I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

It will take Courage to stay true to the decision to purchase flexible furniture and to continue to ask those essential questions to our team.

It will take Courage to continually challenge an already highly motivated and exceptional staff to continue to learn more, inspire more, be more.

It will take Courage to intentionally mentor a new VP with a different mindset as to what the job could and should entail and to fight the urge to do things the way they have always been done, just because it’s easier.

Just like my two previous #oneword posts, I have no doubt that the upcoming year will bring many more opportunities for me to experience my #oneword mantra in ways that I have yet to imagine.

Our life at Sir Arthur Currie continues to be daily celebrations of “firsts”. This past week was no exception as we finally opened our gymnasium and came together for the first time as a school community. Our charge custodian, Mrs. Comeau, did the honours as she cut the customary ribbon and officially deemed it “Open”.

We also conducted our first Remembrance Day Service, which came together beautifully as a result of a full team effort. Our cross was built and painted, our choir filled the auditorium with beautiful music, our primary classes sang songs and recited poems and our junior students courageously shared poems they crafted themselves. When your school’s namesake is a famous WW1 General, there is an unspoken expectation that Remembrance Day becomes more significant. Our service started with a slide show highlighting Sir Arthur Currie’s life and contributions. Having Sir Arthur Currie’s great grandson in the audience made the service more meaningful for all of us.

As the last post was played, Corporal Arthur Currie (Sir Arthur’s great grandson) saluted the cross adorned with wreaths. He was moved as many of our young students saluted him back. Following the ceremony, we toured the classes and our students were thrilled to meet Sir Arthur Currie’s great grandson. He was besieged with a number of students who wanted his autograph. His daughter, Lucy, couldn’t quite understand why a group of school children would want her daddy’s autograph. As the children inundated Corporal Currie with questions about his uniform and the Service, he spoke of men and women heading overseas to fight in wars ~ at which point, his daughter Lucy, spoke up and said, “But not you, right, Daddy?”.

It was at that moment that it hit me ~ the true meaning of why we ensure that each year, in each school, we take the time to teach our students about the importance of Remembrance Day. We honour those who lost their lives in battles, who never had the chance to return to their children. We honour those who are currently fighting battles, who pray each day that they will be able to return to their children. But more importantly we focus on Peace in the hopes that our children will never know the pain of loss of a parent as a result of war.

“Thorough preparation must lead to success. Neglect nothing” is one of the famous quotes from our school’s namesake, Sir Arthur Currie. One month ago, I would have embraced that quote and been quite confident that we, as a school team, had completed months of thorough preparation in anticipation of our school’s opening on September 5th 2017 ~ that we had neglected nothing. Furniture and equipment were purposefully and intentionally selected to allow for collaboration and teamwork in each learning environment. Resources and technology purchases reflected our idea of an innovative learning space where iPads and Chromebooks are as easy to access as pencils and pens. Incoming staff were prepped for the upcoming journey. Conversations about student centered learning tasks and reimagining assigning homework beyond the instructional day occurred in June. Paper planners were not forgotten on the order list, they were intentionally left off as we wanted to dive into electronic forms of communication between home and school. Timetables, class lists and supervision schedules were prepared and distributed.

The idea of starting from scratch, building community and creating a school culture different from any other were the foundation of months of planning, the lens through which I did my summer reading and the focus of many of my Tweets to my PLN.

But it wasn’t until our opening day and the subsequent few days that followed that together we learned that our success was going to look different than first anticipated ~ regardless of the months of thorough preparation. Delays in furniture deliveries, ongoing construction projects, missing resource orders, partial pieces of this and that and an unprecedented additional 125 students created the conditions for our team to bond quickly and to be prepared to rethink our plans. Within days, we needed to find a way to get 42 seating options and table tops into a grade 5 room. Teachers who had planned to teach combined classes were now teaching different classes as we welcomed 5 new classes. Staffroom furniture became classroom furniture and folding tables doubled as meeting tables. Subsequent days brought interviewing for 6 positions, continued management of daily deliveries; not to mention the regular start of the school year busyness.

Then the reality hit ~ although we had prepared ourselves for the lack of Learning Commons/Gym, the odd missed order and sharing our space with our construction crew, nothing could have prepared us for increasing our school population by 40% and the additional commitment that that increase was going to need on behalf of the whole team.

Yet through it all, the Currie Crew has flourished ~ active learning happening in classes, numeracy assessments, Terry Fox Run, soccer games, planting trees in our community and even a school wide event wherein we all painted a memory piece for future generations are just a few of the amazing first month accomplishments. The success of these activities seems that much sweeter, knowing the challenges that were occurring in the background.

And although we still see the benefits of Sir Arthur’s quote, I’m wondering if a more appropriate quote for us might be: You can’t spell challenge without change. If you’re going to rise to the challenge, you need to be prepared for change.

What has the first month of this school year brought you? Any unanticipated changes that have led to deeper successes?

“Be worried and fascinated by the future”. Those are the final few words in Fullan’s “Indelible Leadership ~ Always Leave Them Learning” and those seven words sum up my thoughts as I look towards opening a new school in 2 short weeks.

As in his other books, Fullan provides his readers with much to ponder as he discusses 6 interlocking tensions for today’s leaders:

1) Breakthrough moral imperative and uplifting leadership

“Wanted…leaders willing to throw themselves into the deep end as they save others and themselves”. Deep Leadership is about “creating things that we never imagined”. As I look towards co-creating a brand new school culture ~ along with staff, students, parents and community members, I can’t help but wonder how we go about creating a school culture where people want to be a part of it ~ not because they live in a specific boundary, but because if they had a choice, they would choose us.

2) Master content and process

“Be right at the end of the meeting, not at the beginning”. This one will be an easy one, as our year will be filled with lots of unknowns which will require discussion, disruption of past thinking and an openness to new and innovative ways of doing things. I will not enter any of our meetings with any predetermined outcomes. We’ll need to come to consensus as a school community. Our mission and vision will be our guiding compass.

3) Lead and Learn in equal measure

One of the many things that excites me is learning about how to create a culture from the ground up. What will we use to measure our success? My mind is filled with numerous statements of inquiry. If we are intentional about creating learning environments that meet individual needs then students will be poised for greater engagement and achievement. If we are intentional about building community before delving into content then students will be more likely to collaborate when creating evidence of their learning…. And the list goes on. So much to choose from ~ where to start?

4) See students as change agents

“The secret agent is the student”. I truly believe this statement and hence my passion to return to a school and to support a staff as they ensure that our students see themselves as capable, competent and change agents. A school community where voice and choice are the norm and that all community members have access to technology which will allow them to create, to share, to empower and to build upon their natural curiosity. We have been intentional in creating learning environments which look different that the standard rows of desks and chairs. Our students will know from Day 1, that life at Sir Arthur Currie will be different. Our job is to ensure that different = better.

5) Feed and be fed by the system

I have always believed in the power of being connected to the system ~ but to ensure that it is a reciprocal relationship. The system has a great deal to learn from schools as schools have a great deal to learn from system perspectives and latest learning.

6) Be essential and dispensable

There should always be a balance between leading and learning and whether right or wrong, I’m anticipating that this year, the scales will be tipped more towards learning. It’s imperative that our school community embraces the fact that We Are All Learners ~ me included. Although this will be my third school, as a school principal, I do not want to passively do what I’ve done in the past. We expect teachers to “change it up” each year to meet the needs of their new group of learners ~ so should we as administrators. I’m also aware that we’re about to start a new school community with an energetic, dedicated and dynamic staff that will undoubtedly be there much longer than me. So building leadership capacity will ensure that the culture we create from day one will continue long beyond my tenure.

So…back to my opening and Fullan’s closing remarks.

Worried? Not really! From my initial meetings with the staff, my meeting with some of our incoming grade 7 and 8 students and a few meetings with some of our parents, the Sir Arthur Currie school community will indeed be caring, inclusive, innovative and poised to challenge and engage our students.

Fascinated? You bet! The possibilities for a brand new school are endless. The trail has yet to be blazed. As others are enjoying the final two weeks of holidays, I’m anxiously awaiting for our journey to begin.

This morning the lake resembled a sheet of glass ~ or more like a mirror with the perfect reflection of the long needled pine trees, the various selection of docks and the unique rock formations native to the Severn waterways. Perfect for a kayak ride. So, with my paddle in hand, I headed out for a morning journey through the channel ~ swiftly at times, concentrating on the angle of the paddle and the rhythmic shifting from side to side and slowly at other times enjoying the beauty of the view that one can only truly appreciate from being directly on the water.

I had brought my camera for those “just in case” moments and the stillness of the water afforded me the opportunity to capture a few shots, without the fear of tipping.

Two hours later, as I neared the cottage, and started to brace myself for the docking procedure (still my least favourite part of the kayaking experience), I decided to loop to the other side of the peninsula and check out our one white water lily. I’m not sure why we only have one lily ~ there is a multitude of lily pads ~ but just one lone lily. None the less, the conditions were perfect for a water level picture of the lily so onward I ventured.

In order to get to the lone lily, I needed to paddle through what I had always thought of as a layer of just leaves. Most of the leaves had various brown spots, making them look as if they were diseased in some way. These leaves cover most of the surface area within our little bay and to be honest I hadn’t given them much thought. But as I slowed down and angled the kayak towards the lonely lily, I noticed something popping up beside one of the “diseased” leaves. As I got closer, I saw a beautiful, delicate and intricate red flower. Upon further investigation it became apparent that the whole bay was filled with a sea of these flowers ~ flowers that were unnoticeable from the shoreline. With the help of the zoom feature on the camera, it quickly became apparent that the little red flowers were even more striking than the single white lily which was my initial quest.

Later that night, as I reviewed the pictures on my camera, I couldn’t help but wonder if we, as educators, sometimes miss the beauty of the smaller more notable things on our quest for the big significant things. How many small red flowers do we miss in our quest for the white lilies?

Have we become so focused on the big picture prizes ~ such as EQAO ~ that we’ve forgotten to get in the water and notice the multitude of smaller, more notable, more delicate and more bountiful prizes. Those day to day examples of learning, curiosity, questions and “aha” moments need to be experienced while we are in the “water” with our students.

Anyone can see the white lilies from the shoreline. You can count them and even predict when they will be in full bloom and when they will close for the evening and rest. But if we truly want to understand the landscape ~ or in this case the ecosystem of the bay ~ then we can’t stay on the shore. And just like truly taking part in student learning, we need to get in the water (which includes the excitement and sometimes fear of the launch and the docking) and look beyond the “diseased” leaves to experience the beauty.

What have you been pleasantly surprised by, when you “got into the water” and learned alongside of your students?

The smell of honeysuckle and lilac, the sight of beautiful magnolia blossoms that sparkle and fade all too fast and the sound of robins greeting each sunrise with joyful chirps are all welcomed signs of spring. One of the other sure signs of spring in the Forest City is the numerous construction projects which sat dormant during the winter but come alive as the snow melts and the days become longer.

Last week, as a result of one of these many construction projects, I dutifully followed the detour signs through a subdivision close to the Education Center. Along with the make shift speed bumps, I noticed this sign “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” on many of the front lawns. I immediately slowed down and found myself taking extra care in checking my mirrors and blind spots. I watched for unexpected distractions such as stray balls rolling onto the road as a result of a missed shot in a driveway hockey game or all too focused dandelion pickers unaware of their surroundings and any potential dangers.

I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if we took that same sentiment and transferred it to our schools. What if on all of our schools signs we professed that we “Teach Like Our Own Kids Go Here”.

I recall a time when I overheard a teacher complain that at her daughter’s school no one was stepping up to coach one of the sports teams. Yet that same staff member wasn’t volunteering any of her time at the school that she worked at to do any coaching. I found it rather ironic.

When we think about the classroom environment that we want for our own children, do we do our best as educators to replicate that for our students? Do we greet our students at the door every morning and let them know that we are so glad that they are here.

When there is an issue with another student, do we take the time to investigate and help problem solve the situation with care, kindness and fairness?

Do we provide choice in our tasks and honour and embrace student voice because we truly believe that our students have something worthwhile to say? Do we take the time to read what our students are reading so that we can suggest that “just right” book and watch their faces light up because they know that we care enough to go the extra mile?

Do we provide our students with multiple (differentiated) ways to demonstrate their learning, because just like our own children are individuals (I often wonder how my own three children, who had the exact same environment as children have grown into such individuals with their own set of unique strengths) our students have their own backpack of strengths.

When assigning multiple tasks to be completed at home, do we as educators stop and contemplate the impact that our “homework” will have on our families. How would we feel as a parent of a student in our class, managing night time routines which include assigned homework?

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate that many of my own children’s teachers where incredible and I’ve worked alongside of educators who “teach like their own children go here”.

But what If we ALL taught like our children were in our class, can you imagine the impact?

OK…. I’ll admit it and at this point, there is absolutely no use in trying to deny it. My family and friends know it as do our neighbours at the cottage ~ as I frequently get chastised. I love fire. I love building fires, watching them grow. I love getting lost in the flames and the multi-coloured embers. I love the smell of campfires ~ Day or night, summer or winter. There is a true art to building a fire that will sustain. It takes precision and at times patience. This past weekend, as we traveled North to our cottage, I read, “Breaking Free ~ from Myths about teaching and learning” by Allison Zmuda and within the pages, the author references this poem by Judy Brown

FIRE

What makes a fire burn
is space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing,
too many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the flames
almost as surely
as a pail of water would.

So building fires
requires attention
to the spaces in between,
as much as to the wood.

When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way
we have learned
to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how
it is fuel, and absence of the fuel
together, that make fire possible.

We only need to lay a log
lightly from time to time.

A fire
grows
simply because the space is there,
with openings
in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn
can find its way.

Once we arrived at the cottage, I started to unbury the pile of wood, tossed in a heap at the end of the
summer, as a result of a new wooden deck replacing an old, rotten one and build a fire that would not be subject to a nosy neighbour or a red indicator on the fire ban sign, and reflect on Brown’s poem and it’s connection to education and innovation.

As I built the triangular base in the firepit, I was conscious of ensuring that there was room for natural air flow. The small twigs, were nestled beneath the larger planks and the small amount of paper was gingerly crumbled to ensure that once the match was struck and contact was made, a flame would evolve. A flame that would lead to another flame and so on, until enough flames would begin to encircle the wood and it would come to life with dancing flames. But always ensuring there is enough space for the flames to dance and to demonstrate their brilliance. Knowing that adding lots of planks of wood would only smother the fire and not allow it to grow and reach towards the sky.

As I reflect on the current state of education, I can’t help but wonder if we are leaving enough space or are we piling on the “wood”, plank by plank ~ hoping for a bonfire, but instead becoming frustrated with the bursts of flames that die down as fast as they ignite.

It is in those moments of air, when we stop, question and truly reflect on the moves that we’ve performed. It is during those moments when true change will occur. That is the magic ~ that is the dance of the enduring flames.

And yet, there seems to be an unlimited number of strategies that one can try in order to improve student achievement. And with the best of intentions, it seems as if everyone is trying to get through their grocery list of things to try as fast as possible ~ somehow thinking that more strategies (wood) will equal greater results (bigger bonfire).

Brown refers to the open spaces as the fuel; not the wood.

How will you fuel the fire of learning in your classroom, in your school, in your organization? The answer might not be the next “greatest strategy that you find on Twitter or Pinterest!

Don’t you just love it when seemingly unconnected events magically come together! Yesterday I found myself starting my day taking part in #satchat, as the topic was “What do tomorrow’s classrooms look like today?” ~ a timely topic as I’m currently in the process of purchasing furniture for a new elementary school that I’ll be the principal at this fall. A task that is both exciting and daunting at the same time. This morning, I found my Twitter troll gravitating towards comments, images and articles focusing on school culture as I added #newschool for future reference. Fast forward to later in the morning and as I was walking the dog around the block, I was reflecting on my need to blog before the end of the month. Then as the morning progressed I found myself in a DM conversation with @gcouros booking him to come and share his talents with our Learning Support Services team this upcoming spring. As the invitation went out to the team, one of our members, @pluggedportable shared that he was taking part in #IMMOOC. Fast forward to tonight and another team member, @annettecann shared a post about the first blog post for the #IMMOOC ~ If you started a school from scratch, what would you see as necessary, and what would you take out from what we currently do. A topic that is near and dear to both my heart and my head. A topic that has generated both a daily journal and a hashtag #newschool. So tonight as I watch the Oscars, the stars are aligning (not the ones on the silver screen, but those in my Blogging universe) and I’m joining the #IMMOOC and completing my first post for the course.

My new school journey has already started with an intentionality in terms of sharing a “what if” vision with potential staff members. Bringing together a team of educators who are willing to let go of past practice which isn’t meeting the needs of today’s students. Educators who are willing to embrace flexible seating, give up their standard metal teacher desk and imagine how a room lined with white boards can lead to student’s imagination. Creating a culture where everyone feels welcomed, needed and appreciated. A school where occasional teachers want to return to and parents are provided with an intentional role as partners in their child’s education. Student voice won’t be an event, it will be a non negotiable, whether through student generated video announcements, math talks, daily opportunities for collaboration with peers and student led conferences. Students who get to direct their learning through Project Based Learning and passion projects. A school culture where educators make their respect for the learners visible and audible. A school culture where everyday students will know that they are loved, respected and challenged. Technology will play a role in terms of accelerating the strong pedagogy and ensuring that all students can access the curriculum through multiple entry points. Intentional and purposeful purchases.

In terms of rethinking past practices, I’m looking forward to challenging our new staff to revision and then build a meaningful model of what homework should/could look like. I’m also wondering if as a staff we can come together and build our vision of what parent communication should/could look like. Can we come to a common appreciation of the power of digital portfolios ~ both for ourselves as learners and for our students? We know so much about assessment ~ let’s put it into practice.

In building a team of educators who are willing to go on this ride, building relationships will be key as we will undoubtedly have incredible successes and a few challenges along the way. We have yet to find the “silver bullet” in terms of a perfect school culture, but being willing to try new and innovative ways to meet the needs of all of the members of our school community is a step in the right direction. The gift of a new school is that we are not encumbered with tradition or stories of “we’ve always done it that way”. The possibilities of a new school are endless.

Looking forward to reading the posts from others in #IMMOOC and their thoughts and views on starting a school from scratch.

“It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations—something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.” —Katherine Patterson

During the past two weeks I’ve had the incredible pleasure of sharing a new dual language picture book, “Stepping Stones ~ A refugee family’s journey” with 8 different groups of students and in the coming weeks, I plan to share it with at least 6 more groups.Stepping Stones is a beautifully crafted story, retold by Rama, a young girl whose life is changed forever as a result of war and turmoil in her home country. The accompanying artwork is a collection mosaics created by various shapes and colours of stones, pebbles and rocks. The artist still lives in Syria.

I asked our team of any interested ESL/ELD teachers to gather various groups of students and invite me for a visit. As I arrived at the different schools, I had no idea to whom I’d be reading and I certainly had never anticipated the depth of the conversations, the individual reactions and most notably the intuitive and thought-provoking responses that were shared during each visit.

One Intermediate student shared that he recalled all too vividly watching his father walk to the local grocery store, only to return with no food and how his uncle was ordered to sail an overloaded raft to Germany and experience the despair as not everyone arrived safely.His ESL teacher shared that he had been reluctant to talk about life in Syria until that day.One never knows the power of a well-crafted text.

Many of the children shared their initial fear when they arrived in Canada, as the language was challenging and in their words, so quickly spoken. Funny, that’s how I would describe Arabic. But to hear them now makes me very proud of the work that our Thames Valley educators have done in supporting these students as they learn not only English, but the confidence to share their ideas ~ even if the exact words have yet to be mastered.

In each of the schools, there were students who could read the Arabic version of the book as well. During some of my visits, we co-read the book.There was a beautiful rhythm between our combined Arabic and English voices.The students enjoyed corrected my pronunciation of Jedo (Grandfather) and eloquently expanded on the narrator’s feelings of leaving friends and pets in her home country as their journey started.

But of all of the reactions (and there have been many emotional ones) today’s was probably the most profound.A grade 6 girl was so adamant about expressing her desire to return to Syria, in order to rebuild it.Through hand gestures and limited English, she shared that as soon as it is safe, she wants to return to her homeland.

As proud as we should be about welcoming our newcomer families, showering them with clothes and household items and ensuring that their orientation to life in Canada is supported, we can never forget that these families are here as a result of war and turmoil. It was never their dream to be forced to leave their home country, to leave their life and in some cases cherished family members behind as they traveled to Canada. Just as we are proud of “our home and native land”, so are our Syrian families as they reminisce about their homeland.

These past few days I have been reminded of the power of quality texts and that when shared purposefully, allowing lots of time for students to share their reactions and engage in the story, doors can be opened and in some cases healing can begin.

Do you have a favourite book that you enjoy sharing with your students?